Ladora Savings Bank

Ladora Savings Bank
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	811 Pacific St., Ladora, Iowa, United States
Coordinates	41°45′17″N 92°11′1″W / 41.75472°N 92.18361°W / 41.75472; -92.18361
Built	1920
Architect	William Lightner, Charles B. Zalesky
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP reference No.	90001196[1]
Added to NRHP	August 3, 1990

The Ladora Savings Bank is a historic structure along U.S. Route 6 in Ladora, Iowa, United States. Constructed in 1920, it was closed when the bank that built it failed in the Great Depression, leaving it to be used by a succession of businesses. It was occupied by a restaurant, the Ladora Bank Bistro, but that closed down in February 2019. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places^[2] since August 3, 1990.

Structure[edit]

Designed by William Lightner and Charles B. Zalesky, the masonry Neoclassically styled building included two substantial Doric columns in its facade and several tall windows on the sides.^[1][3] The structure originally included restrooms (including an outside exit for women to use discreetly), which were an unusual feature; at its opening, the bank promoted these restrooms to its customers.^[4] Among its interior features visible to the public were marble counters, wooden floors, and paintings on the wall, while massive vaults were built to protect valuables; recent renovations have restored these features, most of which still remain.^[5]

History[edit]

The Ladora Savings Bank building was dedicated on July 26, 1920.^[4] The bank survived the tumultuous economic times of the 1920s, but it could not withstand the Great Depression, which led to its closure on July 27, 1931. The building remained a center of life in Ladora: during various times in its history, it served as a community center, housing a Red Cross office during World War II and a civil defense shelter during the Cold War; it was also a polling place for many years. It was also a commercial building at certain points in its history, housing at various times an insurance salesman's office, an attorney's office, an antique shop, and a rest area for truck drivers traveling along U.S. 6.^[6] During this period, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, being included primarily for its architecture.^[1]

Reopening[edit]

After some years of inactivity, the bank building was purchased in October 2004 by businessman Dimitri Makedonsky, who also owns properties around the bank. Dimitri proceeded to renovate the building: replacing the roof, redesigning the interior, and gradually restoring the interior to an appearance similar to that of a bank from the 1920s. Hoping to open a restaurant in the building, he refurbished several major side rooms: as the celebrated original restrooms no longer functioned, they were turned into museum rooms, while the bank's substantial vault became a lounge. The restaurant opened on May 15, 2008. After over a decade of operating as The Ladora Bank Bistro, the building now houses an Iowa Caucus themed bistro named Caucus Bistro.^[4]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ladora Savings Bank.

• Ladora Bank Bistro